Jerusalem named one of best cities to visit

Jerusalem was named one of the top 20 cities for tourists in the latest issue of Travel and Leisure Magazine.

In its 14th annual survey of the best cities around the world to visit, the magazine ranked Jerusalem number 17, placing it above travel hotspots like London, Los Angeles and Paris.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat released a statement on Wednesday thanking Travel and Leisure for recognizing the tremendous efforts that his office and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism are making to improve the tourism infrastructure and market Jerusalem and the rest of Israel as a unique travel destination.

"Jerusalem is a special place to more than 3.4 billion people of faith from around the world and my vision is to open up Jerusalem for everyone to enjoy," said Barkat.

Barkat said his goal is that in 10 years time Jerusalem will host 10 million tourists every year. Currently, about two million tourists come to Israel and Jerusalem every year.

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